Whirler for printing plates



Mamh M11, 33%.

H. c. JONES 2,33,469

WHIRLER FOR PRINTING PLATES Filed Nov. 21, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mg (\lN) a 5% INVENTOR Haw C Jones.

March 10, 1936. c. JQNES WHIRLER FOR PRINTING PLATES Filed Nov. 21, 19552 SheetsSheet 2 S 2 m C W H TTORNEY Patented Mar. 10, 1936 UNITED STATESFATEN'E GFFIQE WIHRLER FOR PRINTING PLATES Harry G. Jones, New York, N.Y.

Application November 21, 1933, Serial No. 698,943

15 Claims. (Cl. 91-60) This invention relates to apparatus for spreadinga wet coating on surfaces and for drying surfaces so coated, and relatesparticularly to that type of apparatus adapted to dry flat surfaces suchas are used for example, in connection with light sensitive coatingsemployed in the photographic arts.

Such apparatus is frequently used for spreading and drying thesensitizing solution with which press plates are coated by rotating theplates, and are known as Whirlers. Attempts have been made heretofore tocontrol the speed of the whirler to maintain said speed constant, butsuch attempts have been unsuccessful being subject to variations ofspeed, owing, for example, to variations in the speed of the motors usedfor the motive power and to other inherent defects in the mechanismsemployed for this purpose.

My invention therefore contemplates the pro- Vision of simple andefiicient means of comparatively low cost and responsive to any increasein speed beyond an adjustable predetermined limit for maintaining thespeed of the Whirler below such limit automatically and without thenecessity for any attention on the part of the operator.

My invention further contemplates the provision of simple and efficientmeans for adjusting the speed and the speed limit of the whirler whileit is in operation to compensate for varying conditions of drying.

My invention further contemplates the provision of efficient rotatingmeans designed for rapid starting and minimum power consumption, thefull power supplied to said means being utilized to overcome startinginertia and said means being arranged to apply power adjacent theperipheral edge of the revoluble plate-supporting means through simpleand inexpensive reducing gears.

My invention further contemplates the provision of adjustable brakingmeans automatically and substantially instantaneously operative when thespeed of revolution of the whirler tends to increase beyond apredetermined limit.

My invention further contemplates the provision of simple and effectivemeans for adequately supporting the revoluble disc, which constitutesthe photographic plate-supporting portion of the apparatus, againstvibration and in accurately horizontal position at all times.

of the parts being broken away, however, to show the underlyingstructure.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the automatic control portion of mynew apparatus, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l and showing particularly,the braking means and the supports therefor.

In that practical embodiment of my invention illustrated herein by wayof example, I have shown my invention applied to the spreading anddrying of light sensitive solutions with which press plates for offsetand other printing are coated, though it will be understood that myinvention may be used in connection with the drying of other articles orsurfaces without departing perform its supporting function. As shown,said frame comprises a plurality of spaced legs ll,

suitably braced and connected as by means of the cross members l2.Additional frame parts later to be mentioned, but not necessary to bedescribed in detail, for supporting the rotating means, may be connectedto and supported by one or more of the members l2 and the legs ll.

Supported and carried by said legs and the members I2 is the drip pan l3comprising the preferably upright outer wall M, the bottom wall 15,which is provided with the opening or perforation l6, and the innerpreferably upright wall ll. Said walls may be joined in any suitablemanner as by means of the angle members l8 and Hi secured thereto as bywelding, riveting or the like in a manner which is well understood. Thepan lt is open at the top to permit access to the revoluble disc 2! towhich the surfaces to be dried are secured, said pan receiving theexcess solution thrown 01f the plate and disc during rotation of thedisc. Adjacent the upper edge portion of the surface of the inner wallI! is secured the additional angle member 20 which serves as a partialsupport for the revoluble plate supporting disc M to aid in preventingvibration of the disc and to maintain it in accurately horizontalposition during its revolution. Said disc is preferably provided on itsunder face with a wear plate as 22 which may be removably andreplaceably secured to the disc and which is adapted to engage the uppersurface of the angle 2!] to transmit part of the load from the disc 2!to the wall H.

For further supporting said disc in a true horizontal position duringits revolution and to cooperate with the member 20 for maintaining saiddisc against distortion, and vibration, I prefer to provide a series ofproperly spaced pairs of anti-friction rollers so arranged as to engagethe disc at its peripheral part. The upper roller 23 of each pairpreferably engages the upper surface of the disc, While the lower roller24 engages the lower or under surface thereof, said rollers beingpivotally supported by the bracket 25, which is in turn secured to theupright wall of the drip pan.

During operation of the apparatus, a cover 26 of the usual type isarranged to close the open top of the drip pan. Said cover may, ifdesired, be provided with electric heating elements as 21 foraccelerating the drying operation.

Means soon to be described are provided for suitably rotating the disc2| at a constant predetermined speed after the plates to be driedthereon are secured thereto and the light sensitive solution applied tothe plates. The plates, before being coated with the wet solution, aresecured to the upper face of the disc 2| by any suitable means such asfor example, the clamps 28 which engage the plate and which areadjustable in the preferably radial slots 29 of the disc. It therebybecomes possible to mount plates of various sizes on the disc forrotation thereof. It will be understood that when the sensitizingsolution is laid on the plate after the plate has been clamped to thedisc 2|, rotation of the disc spreads the solution by centrifugal force,evenly over the entire surface of the plate. It will further beunderstood that the rollers 23 and 24 and the supports l4 and 20maintain the disc against vibration and in its proper and exacthorizontal position so that the coating and drying operations may beadequately and efficiently carried out.

For pivotally supporting the disc, the central shaft 30 is secured tothe disc hub 3| as by means of the pin 32. Said shaft 36 passes throughand rotates in a suitable bearing 33 fixedly supported as by the crossmember |2 of the frame through the intermediary of the arms 34.Connecting the shaft 30 to the speedometer 35 is the flexible shaft 36whereby the speed of revolution of the disc 2| in feet per minute or inrevolutions per minute is indicated by the speedometer at all times.

The means for rotating the disc includes simple and inexpensivereduction gearing arranged to utilize the full motive power for rapidstarting and minimum power consumption. Said means includes the internalgear 31 which preferably comprises a series of similar arcuate segments38. Said segments may be provided with suitable radial flanges as 39secured together in any suitable manner as by means of the bolts 46, orby the plates 4| or both bolts and plates. Meshing with the gear 31 isthe pinion 42 secured to and revoluble with the drive shaft 43. It willbe understood that said shaft may be arranged comparatively close to theouter peripheral edge of the disc 2| and between said edge and thecenter of the disc, whereby an efiicient drive is provided.

' The drive shaft 43 is driven by a suitable motor as 44, which may be acomparatively inexpensive constant speed motor, and which is secured tothe motor shaft 45 as by means of a suitable shaft coupling 46. a

The frame members 41, 48, 49, and 50, suitably arranged and secured tothe remainder of the frame H) as to the leg II or to the member l2 andbraced, serve to support the motor and the other drive and control meanssoon to be described. At its upper end, the shaft 43 may be supported ina suitable bearing bracket as 5| secured to the member l2.

Means are provided for automatically resisting and controlling rotationof the disc 2| when the speed of revolution of said disc increasesbeyond any selected or predetermined amount. Said means comprises acentrifugal brake 56 responsive to such increase in speed and serving toretard rotation of the disc by putting an increased load thereon and onthe motor, and comprises further, the governor designated generally bythe numeral 55. The governor 55 includes the collar 51, slidably keyedto the shaft 43 as by means of the sliding key 58 operating in the shaftkeyway 59. Each pivoted at one of their ends to the ears 66 projectingfrom said collar, are the links 6|. At their other ends, said links aresecured to the governor balls 62 as at the ears 63 projecting from saidballs. The links 64 serve to pivotally secure said balls to the ears 65projecting from the hub 66 of the preferably cylindrical brake member61. The member 61 rotates with the shaft 43 being slidably keyed theretoby means of a suitable key. Said member 61 is urged towards theuppermost position thereof by means of a suitable spring 69 interposedbetween the hub 66 and. the collar 16 fixed to the shaft 43.

At its lower extremity, the member 61 terminates in an inwardlyextending projection |,to the under surface of which is secured thebrake lining 12 of any suitable material. For cooperating with the brakelining, a preferably cylindrical member as T3 is fixed in place as bysecuring said member to the frame bar 56. The cooperating brake member13 is provided at its upper edge 5 position along the shaft 43 by meansof the adjusting lever 16 pivoted as at 68 to a suitable lug projectingfrom the brake member 13. One end as 18 of said lever is provided with asuitable pin as 19 entering the groove of the collar 51, while the otherend 8| of said lever is adjustably secured in place between the collars82. Said collars are preferably fixed to the screw 83 which is adaptedto be rotated in its internally threaded supporting brackets 84, as bymeans of the hand wheel 85.

The operation of my new apparatus is as follows:

The surface to be evenly coated and dried having been secured to thedisc 2| and clamped in place by the clamps 28, and the cover 26 havingbeen closed down on the drip pan, and the heater 21 energized ifdesired, the hand wheel 85 is rotated to arrange the collar 51 at thedesired point along the shaft 43 corresponding to the maximum speeddesired. Current being then supplied to the motor 44, the full power ofthe current is utilized to rotate the shaft 43, the balls 62 at thistime being in their innermost position whereby the brake cylinder 61 hasbeen lifted by the links 64 to its uppermost position, aided thereby bythe action of the spring 69. As the motor starts, therefore, no brakingaction between the surfaces 12 and 15 can occur. The full power of themotor is thereby transmitted through the pinion |6 to the internal gear31 to overcome the starting inertia of the disc 2| and to rotate saiddisc.

By the application of power near the periphery of the disc, a minimumquantity of such power is required and cumbersome reduction gearingeliminated.

During its rotation, the disc is supported on the angle member 20 whichengages the wear plate 22. The peripheral edge of the disc is alsosupported and the disc maintained in its accurately horizontal positionby the rollers 23 and '24. Such accurate support is highly desirablebecause of the necessarily light weight of the disc and the consequenttendency thereof to vibrate or to become distorted when rotated. Thecoating on the surface is spread by centrifugal force during therotation of the disc, and the drying action proceeds.

' As soon as the motor 44 has reached its full speed permitted by theposition of the collar 51, said speed is automatically maintained by thegovernor 55. That is, should the speed of the motor and consequently, ofthe disc tend to increase, the governor balls 62 fly outwardly, therebypulling down the links M and therethrough, the brake member 55 andbringing the brake surfaces 12 and '55 into braking operation. Theincreased speed tendency is thereby substantially instantly arrested,reducing the speed of the shaft 43 sufiiciently to permit the balls 62to move inwardly and thereby to lift the member 61 out of its brakingengagement with the cooperating member 13.

Y The operator of the apparatus, by Watching the speedometer 35, mayreadily control or vary the speed of rotation of the disc 2! to meetvarying conditions, this being done by rotating the hand wheel 85 toswing the lever 16 and thereby to raise or lower the collar 57 asrequired. The pressure on the braking surfaces E2 and 15 may thereby bevaried during the operation of the apparatus. 7

It will be understood that the motor 44 may be a constant speed motor asdistinguished from the much more expensive variable speed motorsheretofore employed for operating whirlers since the constant speed ismaintained in my improved apparatus by the braking action justdescribed.

It will further be seen that I have provided a simple and effectivemeans for automatically maintaining the speed of revolution of therotating parts at a predetermined limit, for varying said limit as maybe desired even while the apparatus is in operation, for accuratelysupporting the parts in the required positions, for applying the powerthereto efficiently and economically, and that I have provided anapparatus well adapted to meet the severe requirements of practical use.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention,it will be understood that I do not desire to limit myself thereto butintend to claim my invention as broadly as may be permitted by the stateof the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a whirler for rotating a photographic plate coated with a lightsensitive solution, a revoluble disc adapted to support the plate, meansfor rotating the disc including a motor, a motor shaft, a pinion on saidshaft, and a toothed gear adjacent the periphery of the disc and engagedby the pinion, and means for automatically controlling the speed ofrevolution of said disc including a centrifugal governor on the motorshaft, a brake member slidable on the shaft and surrounding the governorand pivoted thereto at one end of the governor, a fixed brake membermounted coaxially of the shaft, and means for fixing the other'end ofthe governor in a selected position on the shaft.

2. In a whirler, a revoluble plate-supporting disc, anti-friction meansengaging and supporting the peripheral portion of the disc, means foradditionally supporting the disc arranged between the anti-frictionmeans and the central part of the disc, and a brake responsive to theincrease in the speed of revolution of said disc for automaticallycontrolling said speed.

3. In a drying whirler, revoluble plate supporting means including adisc, means for supporting the peripheral portion of the disc,additional means for supporting an area of the disc in outward spacedrelation to the central part thereof, means for rotating the platesupporting means, including a motor shaft and a pinion on said shaft,the axis of rotation of said shaft being in spaced relation to the axisof said disc, and a gear arranged inwardly and adjacent the peripheraledge of said disc and in mesh with the pinion.

4. In a whirler of the character described, a revoluble disc, meansspaced from the center of the disc and adapted to engage at least one ofthe surfaces of said disc for supporting the disc during the revolutionthereof, and means for ro- K tating the disc including an internallytoothed annular gear arranged adjacent the peripheral edge of the disc.

5. In a whirler for rotating a photographic plate coated with alight-sensitive solution, a

drip pan having an upright wall and a bottom wall having a. perforationtherein and adapted to receive excess solution flowing off said plate, a

disc arranged for rotation within said pan, means carried by the uprightwall of said pan for sup porting said disc during its revolution, and anadditional upright wall spaced from the center of the disc and arrangedinwardly of the upright wall of said pan and passing through theperforation of said bottom wall for supporting said disc.

6. In a whirler of the character described, a drip pan, a revoluble discarranged for rotation within said pan, disc-rotating means including amember arranged within said pan and between the peripheral edge of saiddisc and the center thereof, the remainder of said rotating means beingarranged beyond said pan.

'7. In a whirler of the character described, a revolubleplate-supporting disc, supported at an area spaced from its axis ofrevolution, a drive shaft for the disc arranged near the periphery ofthe disc, an internally toothed gear secured to the under face of thedisc, a pinion on the shaft engaging the gear, a governor carried by theshaft, and a centrifugal brake operatively connected to the governor andoperative to resist rotation of the shaft and of said disc beyond apredetermined maximum.

8. In a whirler for rotating a plate coated with a light-sensitivesolution, a disc, means for clamping a plate to the disc, means forheating the disc, and gear means for positively rotating the discincluding a shaft arranged near its periphery, an internally toothedgear secured to the disc, a pinion on the shaft engaging the gear, aconstant speed motor for the shaft, a governor for said motor on theshaft, and a brake operatively connected to the governor and operatedthereby to maintain the speed of the motor below a predeterminedmaximum.

9. In a whirler of the character described, a constant speed motor, adrive shaft for the motor, a ball governor on the shaft, a centrifugalbrake on the shaft, means including pivoted links operatively connectingthe governor to the brake for reducing the speed of the motor when saidspeed reaches a predetermined maximum, and means for adjusting the throwof the governor while the whirler is in operation including means forvarying the normal angular positions of said links.

10. In a whirler of the character described, a plate-supporting disc,plate-clamping means on the disc, gear means for positively rotating thedisc including an annular internally toothed gear secured to the underface of the disc, a centrifugal brake responsive to increase in thespeed of rotation of the disc, and means adapted to be adjusted whilethe disc is rotating for controlling the operation of the brake.

11. In a whirler of the character described, a constant speed motor, adrive shaft for the motor, a revoluble plate-supporting disc arrangedwith its periphery adjacent the shaft, a pan substantially enclosing andsupporting the disc, a pivot shaft for the disc passing through the panand in spaced relation to the drive shaft, means for indicating thespeed of rotation of the disc, cooperating gearing on the disc and driveshaft, a rotatable brake member on the drive shaft, a fixed cooperatingbrake member, a ball governor on the drive shaft including a groovedcollar, pivoted links connecting the governor to the collar, pivotedlinks connecting the governor to the rotatable brake member to carrysaid brake members into engagement on the increase of the speed of thedrive shaft beyond a predetermined maximum, a lever having one of itsends inserted into the groove of the collar, and manually operable meansfor swinging the lever and thereby adjusting the collar on the driveshaft to vary the throw of the governor.

12. In a whirler of the character described, a revolubleplate-supporting disc, a stationary pan surrounding the disc, meanscarried by the pan for supporting the peripheral portion of the disc,means on the pan for supporting the disc between said peripheral portionand the center of the disc, and a centrifugal brake for automaticallycontrolling the speed of revolution of the disc.

13. In a whirler of the character described, a revolubleplate-supporting disc, a drip pan arranged about the disc,disc-supporting means on the pan, means for rotating the disc arrangedbetween the center and the periphery of the disc, and means responsiveto the speed of revolution of the disc for controlling said speed.

14. In a whirler for rotating a photographic plate coated with a lightsensitive solution, a revoluble plate-supporting disc, means forrotating the disc including an upright shaft arranged adjacent the outerperipheral edge of the disc, a

form of a series of arcuate segments having teeth 7 on the innerperipheral edges thereof secured to the member adjacent its peripheryand a pinion meshing with said teeth, said means including a centrifugalbrake adapted to maintain the speed of said rotating means below apredetermined limit.

HARRY C. JONES.

